The project proposes several innovative approaches to cancer diagnostics, moving beyond the current state of the art.
1) Multisensor Platform: Developing a multisensor platform capable of detecting multiple biomarkers simultaneously in whole blood is innovative. This platform aims to address the limitations of existing techniques by offering rapid, cost-effective, and sensitive detection, facilitating early cancer diagnosis and treatment monitoring.
2) Green Technologies: Leveraging green technologies for sensor fabrication, enhances sustainability and cost-effectiveness while maintaining high performance. These approaches contribute to environmentally friendly device manufacturing.
Expected Results until the End of the Project.
By the end of the project, the researcher anticipates achieving the following results:
Identification and Design of Probes: Successful development and optimization of probes targeting specific cancer biomarkers, ensuring high specificity and sensitivity.
Optimized Electrochemical Platform: Characterization and optimization of the electrochemical platform, including the integration of probes and synthetic nanomaterials, to enhance sensor performance.
Multisensor Assembly and Testing: Integration of probes into the multisensor platform, followed by comprehensive testing using standard and whole blood samples to validate its efficacy and reliability for cancer biomarker detection.
Validation of the Method: Validation of the developed method for cancer biomarker detection, demonstrating its clinical utility and potential for translation into practical diagnostic devices.
Potential Impacts:
The project's outcomes hold significant socio-economic and wider societal implications:
1) Improved Cancer Diagnosis and Management: The development of a rapid, low-cost, and reliable diagnostic platform can revolutionize cancer diagnosis, enabling early detection, personalized treatment, and improved patient outcomes. This can lead to reduced healthcare costs and better resource allocation.
2) Enhanced Accessibility to Diagnostics: The portable nature of the proposed device and its compatibility with whole blood samples make it suitable for Point-of-Care (PoC) settings, increasing accessibility to cancer diagnostics, particularly in resource-limited settings and underserved communities.
3) Empowerment of Women's Health: Given the focus on breast cancer diagnosis, the project has a direct impact on women's health. Early detection facilitated by the developed platform can empower women by enabling proactive management of their health and reducing the burden of late-stage cancer diagnoses.
4) Environmental Sustainability: The utilization of green technologies in sensor fabrication aligns with sustainability goals, reducing environmental impact and promoting eco-friendly manufacturing practices in the biomedical field.